


Matches

by LarienLarryArnatuile



Category: The Lord of the Rings (Movies), The Lord of the Rings - J. R. R. Tolkien
Genre: Adventure, Angst, Eventual Romance, F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-07-10
Updated: 2014-07-10
Packaged: 2018-02-08 08:02:38
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 5,728
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1933143
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LarienLarryArnatuile/pseuds/LarienLarryArnatuile
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Alissa and her niece Hayley have lived a fairly peaceful life since Hayley's parents died in a devastating car crash. When they're dropped in Middle-Earth and strange things start happening to the two girls will they be able to cope as well as everybody around them expects them to? These two girls have to pass many tests of the worst kind to be reunited with each other again.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Who I've Always Been

** Matches **

Larien Larry Arnatuile

**Disclaimer: I do not own Lord of the Rings**

**Chapter One: Who I’ve Always Been** _“Let’s talk about your childhood days You were the ‘prom queen’ I was on this stage, So where’s that crown gotten you these days, When it’s me and you in the same damn games?”_

I trudged my way through the rain, jumping whenever water dripped down the back of my neck until I became used to it. I was hunched over against the wind and my hair kept whipping me in the face, leaving a stinging feeling behind it. It was such a dismal day that there was no point in wishing for sunny weather.

Behind me I heard some girls giggling. I had an odd feeling that it was me that they were laughing at but how should I know? Even if it _was_ me what could I do about it? I don’t care what people say about me. Flip the bird and walk off.

More girlish twittering came from the same direction. I wonder if they know just how dumb it is. You can’t hold down a well-paying job when you only know how to apply lipstick and mascara. I know I’m not in the best paying job in the world but I know how to do it properly at least.

“I was snapchatting to my boyfriend last night and he said that my light blue dress really brings out my eyes. I think he was trying to say that I should wear it tonight without seeming gay... even though that statement wasn’t the best one in the world for that. He is definitely the best boyfriend ever.”

When I heard her voice I internally cringed. Immediately I concentrated on the sound of passing cars, the wind in my ears, or even the rain. Anything to block out Lindsay’s annoying, nasal voice.

“You know, I feel _really_ sorry for those people who can’t find a boyfriend. It must be so sad knowing you’ll be alone forever.”

The footpath seemed to stretch on forever. I _knew_ that Lindsay was trying to get a rise out of me but that doesn’t make it hurt any less. Lindsay was one of those people who “had it all”. In simpler terms people would just say she’s a bitch.

“Alissa! Yo, Alissa!” my friend Erica yelled, poking her head outside of the coffee shop we both work at. I had never been so grateful to get inside and hurried to get out of my coat, scarf and beanie.

“Hey, Alissa, get your apron on and check with Jenny to start off with,” my boss Ryan said. I did as he said and went to find Jenny, who was at the Espresso Machine.

“Jennifer, Ryan said you had work for me?” I said, my voice turning up at the end. Jenny has the shortest temper and nobody (emphasis on the _nobody_ ) wants to get on the wrong side of her.

“Tables 18 and 27,” she replied shortly, “John’s got both orders covered so you don’t have to worry too much.”

“Rough day?” I asked with a slight smile.

“Doesn’t even cover it,” Jenny groaned, glaring at the machine, “My sister and her kids are staying at my apartment, I almost punched Lindsay in the face and now this _stupid_ Espresso Maker refuses to work!”

I frowned at the shiny metal in front of me; wasn’t the first time it had acted up.

“I’ll get James on the Espresso thing and I’ll talk to you after my shift.”

I didn’t get a reply but that was expected of Jen. I can’t blame her for all the shit that get on her nerves. My temper would be much worse than hers if I was her.

“John!” I called, “You got tables 18 and 27?”

“Yep,” replied the ever-cheerful John, “Table 18 is the flat white and table 27 is the ‘cino.”

I picked up the tray he was indicating to and grinned as I saw Lindsay outside in the rain looking _very_ unhappy. John followed my gaze and let out a laugh.

“A real piece of work, isn’t she?” John said with a smile.

“Yep,” I agreed, “A real piece of work,” before I took the tray and delivered its contents to their respective tables.

“Hey Ryan!” I called while I was in the back kitchen, “The Espresso machine’s done in and I haven’t seen James!”

“He’s out picking up another shipment of coffee beans,” Erica said as she passed me.

“Another?” I questioned Erica as I followed her through the steamy room, “How many freaking deliveries of coffee beans do we need?”

“That’s what he said,” she shrugged, “But I could be wrong.”

I sighed at that. Technically James wasn’t the handyman but he’s great in emergencies.

“What was that?” Ryan asked as he wiped his hands on an old rag.

“Espresso Machine,” Erica and I replied in unison.

“See if John can help,” was all Ryan said before he left us.

“I guess I’ll go get John hen and see if he knows a thing or two about fixing it,” Erica said before she turned on her heel and left me.

“He’s not here?” a voice over my shoulder asked. I turned around to see Jenny twisting a lock of dirty blonde hair that had fallen from her messy bun around her finger.

“No,” I sighed, “But hopefully John can fix it.”

“Why do we even have it? The thing costs more in bloody repairs than it ever will in actual coffees. We should just make them by hand.”

“True,” I agreed, “Too true, but Ryan likes having brand new stuff in here.”

Jen merely shrugged in reply. Faintly I heard screaming outside, causing me to turn around in confusion.

“Did you hear that?” I asked Jen. In return I got an odd look.

“Hear what?” Jen questioned, “I don’t hear anything.”

“That screaming,” I told her as I walked to a nearby window.

“I’m sorry?” Jenny laughed awkwardly, “Is this Garry Blotter or something?”

“Um, one, it’s _Harry Potter_ and two, no!” I snapped, losing my temper. And not about the Harry Potter thing, before you ask.

“Could it be the hospital across the road?”

“I wouldn’t be able to hear it then, it’s got to be somewhere on the street.” I walked over to another window and peered out.

“Something’s happening,” I said suddenly, completely out of the blue. As soon as the words left my mouth I wondered why I had said them. It wasn’t like me to randomly blurt things out like that; I was a think-before-you-speak kind of girl. And that was probably the reason why Jennifer was staring at me in a dumbfounded manor. Quickly she joined me at the window. I think she thought that I was slightly crazy and frankly I couldn’t blame her.

“Nothing’s there Alissa,” Jen told me anxiously.

“It’s not happening out _there_ ,” I gestured to the window. Again I wondered at my words. It felt like someone was prompting me to say these things.

“Oh come off it Alissa, nothing’s actually happening. Face it, you’re cracking _majorly_ and-”

“Jen!”

“Well if what you say is true, then where-”

“I don’t KNOW, Jen!” I finally exploded, “I have no idea what the hell is going on, all I know is that _something is happening_! _She_ told me and-”

“Ally you’re losing it! She? Come on!” Jen snapped at me. I stopped, breathing hard, completely confused as to why I was raging about a sound I _might_ have heard. But even though my thoughts were bouncing around my head one thing was clear to me.

“Yeah, I am,” I told her, feeling calm now. Jenny looked relieved but that didn’t last long as I said, “But maybe it’s about time.”

When I said that I felt the conversation (for want of a better word) was over. I sprinted through the kitchen, removing my apron as I ran, got my scarf, coat and beanie on and left the small coffee shop, ignoring everyone’s protests.

I didn’t know where I was going or what I was doing. Outside the rain had slowed to a drizzle but I could hear every drop that landed and the cars seemed louder than usual. The noise assaulted my ears and I stood still for a moment, waiting for my ears so adjust.

I felt as though I had no control over my body. All I felt was a blissful numbness that should have worried me but didn’t.

I heard the screaming sound again but this time I could hear the direction it was coming from: the hospital. I made a mental note to apologise to Jenny and started walking to my apartment.

**~X~**

The rain had completely stopped by the time got home. As I carefully slid the key in the lock I noticed I couldn’t hear anything inside; usually my niece who lives with me would have the TV or music going. I wondered if she was even home.

“Hayley?” I asked as I fumbled with the light switch next to the door. Light soon flooded the hallway, “Are you in?”

As I was speaking Hayley silently walked to the door, her face tight with an emotion I couldn’t identify.

“Your friend Jennifer left a message on your mobile. Which you forgot to take to work.”

“Hayley what’s going on? Is something wrong?” I asked in a worried manor. Being fifteen was hard for her sometimes, especially because her mum, my sister, died with her husband in a car crash three months ago.

“You’re asking _me_ what’s wrong? Alissa, please. When Jennifer couldn’t reach you on your mobile she called the home phone. She told me everything.”

“It was just a momentary lapse, that’s all, Hayley. I was fine as soon as I got off my shift- it was just stress.”

“You didn’t ‘get off your shift’ you ran out like a raving lunatic after claiming you heard some screaming!”

“Okay, when you say it like that it sounds bad, but I’m fine!” I protested. I tucked my dark hair behind my ears and I knew that my brown eyes were flashing dangerously. Erica had once told me about my ‘flash’.

“Come off it,” Hayley scoffed, reminding me forcefully of Jenny doing the same, “Look at yourself in the mirror and tell me you’re fine, listen to how you’re reacting and tell me that you’re okay.”

I frowned at my niece, not really wanted to prove her right. I opened my mouth a few times, trying to find a good comeback. After a couple of hopeless goes with Hayley watching I sighed, signally that I’d given up.

“Let’s go eat some dinner,” was all I said as I walked down the hall. I glanced casually at the mirror and got a brief glance of a pale face with haunted eyes. Out of the corner of my eye I could see Hayley rolling her grey eyes and flick her straight blonde hair over her shoulder. I could almost feel her smirk boring in the back of my head.

“It’s funny: you’re twenty-five and I’m fifteen but you can’t win an argument against me.”

 

 


	2. Lose Yourself

** Matches **

Larien Larry Arnatuile

**Disclaimer: I do not own Lord of the Rings**

 

**Chapter Two: Lose Yourself**

_“Look, if you had, one shot, or one opportunity, to seize everything you’ve ever wanted, one moment, would you capture it, or just let it slip?” –Eminem_

HAYLEY’S POV

I reached a finger up and touched my now-short blonde hair. Only yesterday I had asked my aunt if she could take me to have it cut. After our argument about her running out of work she was quiet. I didn’t mind so much; I had things to think about as well.

Reaching out slowly I picked up the hair dye from the bathroom bench. I thought a new look would suit me. It’s not like anybody knows me here. It had taken Alissa a while to sort out the papers after my parent’s death. She wanted to take me as soon as my parents were gone but the courts weren’t too sure. Even so I ended up staying in an orphanage for two months. I didn’t care; I didn’t care about anything after my parents died.

By the time I came to live here it was already the summer holidays and there was nothing to do except watch TV, listen to music and read. Not much fun.

Alissa tried to get me to go out and explore the area but I’d refused. Outside it was cheerful, full of people who didn’t know of pain. I envied them.

I stared critically at my hair around my chin. My hair was originally brown like Alissa’s and my mother’s but I’d learned long ago that dying your hair at regular intervals gives you a certain something in the ‘coolness’ stake.

It’s odd how when you dye your hair people immediately connect it to your personality: black= emo. Blonde= sweet and innocent (well, that depends how you wear it). Dark red= mysterious. Orange= overly bubbly.

I was lucky that my parents were really relaxed about that sort of stuff. They even went out and bought me the hair dye. All of my friends envied me for that. In my life my hair has been brown, black, red, blonde, black again, black with a blonde streak and blonde again. I liked doing some colours again. When I was thirteen I got so sick of my boring brown hair that I went and asked if I could get a red streak. I was really surprised that people started _noticing_ me with that one simply act. So I kept experimenting.

But something held me back from dying my hair. Something was off. I peered into the mirror and stared at my reflection. My hair now framed my face and my head still felt really light. And yet it was something else.

I’d dye it later.

**~X~**

“Hayley, can you help me with these?” Alissa called to me from the front door. I sighed and turned my music off. She was probably mentally preparing herself for what my hair should have been.

“I’m coming!” I called as I pulled the zipper up slightly on my black hoodie. With pale blonde hair I can pull off the “blonde emo” look.

“Lee, you didn’t dye your hair,” Alissa said, struggling with two full shopping bags. I quickly took one off her and stood to the side.

“Nah, thought I might do it a bit later, you know, keep the blonde look. Try and preserve it.”

Alissa merely smiled and shook her head.

“Make sure you do use that dye though,” Alissa cocked a head at me and grinned, “I’m not made of money, you know.”

I laughed at that. It was a long standing joke between the entire family that my grand-parents were rich. Really, really rich. When they died Alissa got about two million as did my mother and my other aunt Abby. One million of my mother’s money was now sitting in a bank account for me when I turn eighteen. The other million had been distributed between aunt Abby’s children as my mother requested when she first got the money.

Alissa and I then carried the bags into the tiny kitchen. Alissa had made a point of hiding the fact that she had plenty of money hiding away. Her job helps. As I started unpacking one f the bags the home phone rang.

“I’ll get it,” I offered. Alissa nodded in thanks and continued unpacking; there was enough food to feed an army.

“Hello, Hayley speaking,” I spoke into the receiver. On the other end I could hear some pips of laughter in the background.

“What colour pa-“ Pip pip pip. It was a young Scottish voice.

“I’m sorry, what did you say?” I asked. It sounded like a dirty phone call so I stayed polite.

“What colour pant-“ Pip pip pip.

“Good bye,” I said shortly. I hung up and turned back to Alissa, who was still putting everything away.

“Who was it?” Alissa asked.

“Prank call,” I rolled my eyes, “Young Scottish bloke and I could hear some pipsqueaks in the background laughing.”

Alissa shook her head and put away the last thing from the plastic bags.

“School tomorrow,” Alissa said cheerfully while I groaned and flopped onto the couch. My aunt chuckled at my reaction and hit me on the head lightly with some newspaper.

“I’m just lucky there’s no school uniform,” I told Alissa while I struggled to sit up.

“Cheer up, I’m sure it’ll be fine,” Alissa tried to reassure me.

“Yeah, but you don’t know that,” I said quietly. There was a bit of silence that I broke with a whisper.

“What if they don’t like me?”

Alissa sat on the couch and pulled me in for a hug. She knew this was more than school, that some of my true feelings about my parents’ deaths were coming out. She knew that nothing more could be said, that nothing more would ease my worry, or my pain. So she just hugged me.

And I let her.

**~X~**

“Hayley, c’mon, wake up,” Alissa called. I glanced at the clock next to my bed. It read 7:06.

“I’m awake!” I yelled back, snuggling down deeper under my duvet.

“You might be away but you still need to get up. Come on,” Alissa said on the other side of my door.

“Fine, alright, I’m up,” I mumbled as I struggled out of bed; my duvet was tangled around my legs. After a few tries I ended up on the floor still wrapped up like an Egyptian mummy. At exactly the wrong moment Alissa opened my door and stared at me with her mouth gaping open.

“Did I not say I was up?” I enquired politely. Instantly Ally covered her mouth with her hand and retreated out of my bedroom.

Finally I got up and stared at my reflection in the mirror. A pale blond girl stared back. Quickly I ran a comb through my hair that now framed my face at my chin. Shaking my head so that the ends of my hair felt like spiders against my face I wondered if my new school would be okay. To stop myself from worrying I pulled a face and smiled a smile that looked more like a grimace, making me feel stupid.

I already knew what I wanted to wear to school today: my dark jeans, my black tank top with white stitching and white comfortable black hoodie. For piercings I decided to go with my green studs in my lobes and my fake diamond one (just glass but it looks real enough) in the cartilage of my left ear. For shoes I wore my black keds that I’d painted two yellow stripes down the sides to make them cooler (like Ruby Redfort’s yellow stripe sneakers that my cousin Elise is always nagging me about).

Quickly I dressed and only when I was confident that I looked just fine did I leave the confinements of my bedroom.

When I was outside of my room I caught sight of my aunt. Fortunately it appeared that Alissa had sobered up. Good.

“Hayley…” Alissa asked tentatively, “Your… mother mentioned that you did martial arts or something…?”

My throat choked up at the mention of mum but I felt compelled to answer her.

“Yeah, judo and karate- I also did gymnastics,” I replied as I got my breakfast in the kitchen so I didn’t have to look at her. As soon as I poured the milk I got a spoon and started shovelling my food in my mouth as fast as I could. Alissa looked at me for a moment before she started to get her own breakfast. I sat down at the table so she would have enough room in the kitchen.

“Okay, so the closest school here is actually quite a while away so I’ll drive you in until we figure out the bus timetable,” Alissa said quickly as though she didn’t want to bring up memories of my mother. I glanced at her and cocked my head to one side; she had a frown on her face.

“Google is your friend,” I quoted my father, feeling a pang in my chest at the thought of him. People say grief lessons with time and I’m praying to whatever higher being is up there that that is true. I want to be able to remember my parents _without_ bursting into tears. Alissa shot me a ‘look’ while drumming her fingers against the counter top as she waited for the jug to boil.

“What’s the time?” Alissa asked me suddenly. She looked kind off… rabbity.

“Dude, relax,” I told her. I looked at the stove clock that was behind my aunt. I smiled at her, trying to push the painful memories of parents away, “It’s not even eight.”

Sometimes my aunt worries for no reason.

**~X~**

Their eyes were on me- I could feel them burning holes in the back of my head and frankly it was irritating. Even the teacher was staring.

I leaned forward over the desk and tried to concentrate on the workbook we were _supposed_ (yeah, note the emphasis) to be working out of. I shook my head and sighed at how ridiculous this was. Not the workbook. No, the fact that I had been officially labelled the “class freak”.

A balled up piece of paper landed on my book. I glanced back behind me and there were no suppressed smirks on anyone’s faces so I gingerly opened it.

 _Don’t worry- you’re not weird or anything like that. Our class is_ really _uptight. I swear, me and my sister are the only normal ones_ _J -J.J. (my real name’s Justice Joy but call me that and die)_

Again, I looked back. This time, though, there was a girl who looked like she was waiting for the teacher to turn around so she could throw a screwed up piece of paper. Her opportunity came and she neatly threw it across the room. I caught it and unballed it but found it was from a different person.

_You should hang out with me, J.J. and our crowd at break. No one would mind and it’s better than either being alone or chatting with this crew. ~Lydia (some people call me Dee Dee)_

For the third time I turned around and saw two girls grinning at me. I smiled slightly and nodded my thanks. They were identical twins. Not the type that you could tell apart by a mole or something- they were _identical_ identical. And they had a look about them that made me instantly like them. It was a look that plainly said “I don’t care so don’t expect me to”.

Maybe school wasn’t so bad after all.


	3. Begin Again

** Matches **

Larien Larry Arnatuile

**Disclaimer: I do not own Lord of the Rings**

 

** Chapter Three: Begin Again **

_“’Cause you’d throw your head back laughing like a Little kid, I think it’s strange that you think I’m funny ‘cause, He never did.”_

HAYLEY’S POV

We sat on a low brick wall with lunch boxes balanced between us, all in danger of falling and spilling our food out onto the ground. Nobody cared though; none of us were actually eating. All of us were hanging on to every word that Dee Dee was saying. She was telling a tale so wild that it was unlikely to be true yet it was told in such a manner that it didn’t matter. Complete with gestures that nearly hit the closest people in the head Dee Dee was definitely going to be a comedian when she was older.

“I took one look at her, and she was trying to get me to recite the entire periodic table for punishment for cheeking her, right, and I was like getting everything right which was annoying her so much, ‘cause she was really hoping that I’d fail. This is all true, right, then she was like ‘Lydia what is B?’ and I pretended I didn’t hear her correctly. The look on her face was like she’d run a marathon and won it, y’know like victorious. Her eyebrows went right up, like Lord Elrond in Lord of the Rings, like this-”Dee Dee made an example contorting her whole face, making us crack up- “And Mr Pocock barged into the room looking for dictionaries and he saw Miss Stevenson looking like a rabbit that had been smoking weed. Shut up I’m trying to talk, and he was like just staring at her making this god awful face, and ohmigod she went totally red and try to calm herself down and was like ‘Does anyone else know what B is’ and all hands just shot up. Mr Pocock left the room but the damage was done. Oh my GOD it was halaire. Anyway, now that she’d asked the question she couldn’t exactly take it back. Everyone still had their hands up right, and like, she picked on _James Nightingale_! Like for real. And of course he was like totally idiotic and _had_ to say ‘Your bra size’ making the entire the entire class burst into laughter, which it wasn’t even that funny, just stupid. I must say, all the grief she got from our class she _so_ deserved it because if she had let one smart aleck comment go, she could’ve avoided all of that mess that I just recounted and-”

“Girls.” A cold voice called out clearly. All of us turned to see a blonde woman who was… certainly not a looker giving us the eagle eye. I had no idea who the teacher was but I had a sinking feeling in my stomach that _this_ was Miss Stevenson. A glance back at the guilty faces confirmed my suspicion, causing my face to go slightly red.

“ _Off_ the wall. Now.” Was all that was said. Instantly we grabbed our food and jumped off of the wall, Leria almost gapping it. There were eight of us staring at the teacher who was shaking in anger. She turned on her heal and left, leaving us in behind.

“I pity the next poor soul who comes across her,” Elle said, looking pale, “She looked like she wanted to murder us…”

“I’ve got her for science,” I said as one detail from my timetable leapt out at me. Everyone gaped at me in horror.

“Yeah, that makes three of us, since we’re in the same AC,” JJ said, frowning a little. I could only tell the twins apart from the backpacks they were wearing.

“It’s probably a good thing she never married. Her husband would have a knife in his back by now if she did!” Max piped up, her black hair glinting in the sunlight. Max was one of those girls who _existed_ to annoy her parents. Dyed hair, nose piercing, bad attitude and filled with harsh words for any who oppose her.

Though everybody in the group had their faults I was glad to be a part of it. Why? Well, that question is easily answered. They were exactly like me in all the ways that counted, but different as well. A combination of good and bad, a combination bound to be interesting.

**~X~**

The week passed quickly. Normally the first week of school moved so sluggishly that it was impossible to tell if time was ticking backwards. I was afraid that the teacher Miss Stevenson would notice the fact that I hung out with her worst student but she treated everybody the same. With exactly the same amount of hate. It was as if she despised children, a trait which is commonly shared among most teachers.

The group of girls I hung out with on my first day were nice to me even after meeting me and having a conversation. I was surprised; not many people choose to talk to me after the first day. I can’t exactly blame them. I have weird obsessions, like my love of Lord of the Rings and all things Tolkien. I constantly read fanfictions on it and while some were good others were terrible and obvious trolls. My favourites were the Original Character added ones. Most of the time they ended with romance, some with death and others in hate. I read any.

The sun hung bright over the apartment block on a Saturday morning, filling our living room with golden light. I was already up, sitting at the breakfast bar with a bowl of cereal and a book: _The Lord of the Rings_. Alissa wasn’t up yet but I knew she would be soon so water was boiling in the jug for her. She’d said the night before we’d go shopping together, like we did when I was thirteen. It was Alissa who inspired me to be different, to not try and blend in with the crowd.

After the jug had finished boiling I looked over to the door that Alissa’s room lay behind. There was no movement. Normally she would be up by now, clattering loudly in the kitchen making eggs and singing in a _way_ out of tune voice. I didn’t mind, it was like an alarm for me. After five minutes of waiting for Ally to magically appear in the living room I made her coffee, left it on the bench and kicked at her door yelling for her to get out of bed and to move it. It was 9:00am and when Alissa says shopping she means we leave at 7 in the morning. Hearing a slight movement in her room I went back to my book and milo, watching with interest as the stomping bear that was my aunt stumbled into the living room.

“Woah, total bull-in-a-china syndrome much!” I laughed at her as she bumped into the couch, “What did you get drunk last night or something?” I asked when I noticed that she was _not_ okay. She had dark rings around her eyes and her movements were clumsy when normally they were fluid. Hell, _I’m_ supposed to be the one that stubs her toe or knocks her head when getting out of a car or sitting up in a bunk bed.

“Sorry, I didn’t get much sleep last night,” Alissa groaned when the light hit her eyes, forcing her to squint as the adjusted.

“Coffee’s on the bench over there,” I pointed. Alissa nodded her thanks and slowly made her way over while I watched in amusement, “What’s wrong?”

“I… nightmare,” Alissa murmured while sipping her coffee. My eyebrows shot up. Alissa _never_ seemed anything other than perky and seeing her like this after a _nightmare_ of all things was worrying.

“Are you going to eat anything?” I asked over my book.

“I’ll get something when we go out.”

“Are you planning on spending all of your money in a day?”

**~X~**

Alissa indicated to go left, chattering at me and trying to pretend that nothing was wrong. After that night when she had run out of work carrying on like anything about some screaming she had heard she hadn’t been the same. She was always distracted when normally she was alert. She had to try to be happy, as if some force was weighing down on her shoulders. Something was going on and I had no idea what it was.

“So I was thinking we could head off to Equip because they have a sale on. The have really nice stuff too. Then we could head off to Just Jeans and Amazon. Amazon _is_ the place where you got those shirts right? The patterned sleeveless ones?” She didn’t wait for my reply, “Anyway, after that we can get some lunch at the diner place… can’t remember what it’s called… you know, the one that looks like some sixties diner.”

“Dolly’s Diner?”

“That’s the one. The do nachos there, super cheap and the best I have ever tasted.”

“That’s because you can’t cook.”

“Whatever. They also do really nice smoothies. After lunch we can go to… oh, what’s that place you really like to go to? The clothes shop…”

“God Alissa, you _suck_ at remembering store names.”

“Ah, but I know what it looks like. It’s big and white. In the mall, next to that bag shop.”

“Oh, J.J.’s?”

“Uh huh. Don’t you have a friend called that?”

“Yeah. So?”

“Just wondering.”

It took an hour to drive to the mall and all of our conversations were like that. It was a little annoying but I didn’t have to contribute much. I could have fallen asleep and it wouldn’t have mattered. All Alissa was doing was trying to appear normal, except she was giving the impression that she didn’t understand the concept of normal.

Not surprisingly we got a bad parking space when we got there. I didn’t mind but it meant that we had to walk about ten minutes before we actually got inside. Alissa was very pissed off by it but she kept her mouth shut. As we walked over there I got a bad feeling in the pit of my stomach. Alissa felt the same way as she kept twitching in a worried manner.

I swear I didn’t see the car. The road was clear when we crossed it. Never in a million years would I have guessed that it would happen to us. The car could never have stopped in time, nor could we have moved in order to save our lives. That was the scary thing, I guess. Knowing there was nothing I could do about it. I don’t know _how_ I didn’t see the car, or how I knew we couldn’t save ourselves. A million thoughts rushed through my head at the same moment of my life. It was terrifying. I realised in the space of a millisecond that my life could be snuffed out like a candle with no warning. You know how you know things, but those things are stuff that only happen to other people- not you. It was like that, just sickening clarity.

In the space of that millisecond I wished I had lived a longer life.


End file.
